Irish Water has been given more time to consider how it will plead in a prosecution for not implementing a plan to improve drinking water quality in Carraroe in Co. Galway writes Tom Tuite.

The company is being prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The case was listed before Judge John O’Neill today at Dublin District Court where an adjournment was granted.

The water utility company is charged under EU (drinking water) regulations that between Dec.1, 2015 and Jan. 8 last it failed to comply with a directive issue by the EPA to implement an action programme approved by the agency for the improvement of the quality of water for human consumption from Carraroe public water supply, to react to parametric values specified for trihalomethanes (THMS).

It is alleged that the action plan had been approved by the environmental watchdog agency on Sept. 9, 2014. Irish Water has not yet indicated how it will plead to the charge.

Last month a solicitor for the EPA said that they would be providing disclosure of evidence to Irish Water.

Today the EPA’s solicitor said the case could be adjourned for a week for mention and further updates.

THMs are a group of organic chemicals formed when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in raw water before it is filtered.

Earlier this year residents in the Connemara village Carraroe received boil water notices.